Schmidt Science Fellowship
The Schmidt Science Fellowship is open to ambitious PhD students who want to change direction from their PhD by making a bold pivot to new interdisciplinary science research.
Self-nominations for the Schmidt Science Fellowship 2027 will open on 23 February 2026. The University will select up to eight candidates who will be invited to apply for the Fellowship.
The deadline for submissions is 23:59 on 29 March 2026.
What is the Schmidt Science Fellowship?
The Fellowship offers $110,000 per year for up to two years of postdoctoral research at any approved location worldwide.
The proposed postdoctoral research must pivot away from your PhD research area to pursue a challenging alternative research discipline.
Self-nominees should be academically excellent, risk-positive, curious and creative scientists with future leadership potential.
The Fellowship is open to final year PhD students who will be awarded their degree by the University of Cambridge and who are:
- studying for a PhD in natural sciences (Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences and Physics), Engineering, Mathematics, Computing, or any of the sub-disciplines. Individuals on clinical track MD-PhD or Veterinary-PhD programs are not eligible
- expected to complete all requirements for the conferral of their PhD, i.e. the unconditional approval of their thesis, between 01 May 2026 and 30 June 2027
- able to start their Fellowship in July 2027 or October 2027, as well as available from April 2027 to July 2028 to attend virtual onboarding activities, and from October 2027 to attend in-person convenings.
What is the pivot?
One of the key differentiating features of the Schmidt Fellowship is the pivot. Schmidt requires a bold and ambitious change of discipline from PhD to postdoc.
The pivot should enable you to achieve scientific goals not possible under your current course of research and should show a commitment to bold interdisciplinary research. Your proposal should include a clear rationale for the pivot.
Changes in discipline rank more highly than changes in application area.
Large changes in discipline with large, medium or small changes in application area are most likely to be considered for shortlisting.
Moderate changes in discipline with moderate or large changes in application may be considered but are less likely to be successful.
Small changes in discipline are very unlikely to be considered, even when the change in application area is large.
The following are not acceptable:
- pivots to sub-disciplines closely related to the PhD
- proposals which represent a logical or incremental progression from the PhD
- proposals which try to cover multiple disciplines superficially
- pivots to social sciences; the pivot must be to another STEMM discipline.
How to self-nominate
The self-nomination process differs slightly for students in MRC units within the University and at the Babraham and Sanger Institutes.